DPR Sports & Racing News

Lotus and Coswoth back in IndyCar with KV Racing

Lotus and Cosworth have entered into a new technical and commercial partnership with established IndyCar competitors KV Racing Technology to run in the 2010 IndyCar Series.

The Lotus-Cosworth IndyCar will use the classic Racing Green and Yellow livery used on Lotus Racing cars in the 1950s and 1960s and this new livery will debut at the first USA round of the IndyCar Series.

Driving the Lotus-Cosworth IndyCars will be the former F1 driver Takuma Sato.

Lotus competed for a number of years in the IndyCar Series in the 1960s, winning the Indianapolis 500 race outright in 1965 with the pioneering Lotus Type 38, driven by Jim Clark, and narrowly missing victory to come second in 1963.

Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus plc said, “Racing has always defined Lotus and on many occasions in motorsports history Lotus’ numerous innovations have re-defined racing. It’s only fitting that as the Lotus Racing name re-enters Formula 1, we will also race and innovate again in IndyCar. The Lotus name will, once again compete in the top two open-wheel racing series for the passion and enthusiasm of car fans around the globe.”

Kevin Kalkhoven and Jimmy Vasser, owners of KV Racing Technology said, “We are delighted to be part of Lotus and Cosworth’s return to the IndyCar Series, and with Takuma at the wheel of the classic racing green and yellow Lotus Cosworth race cars, we expect to be formidable competitors this year.”

Takuma Sato said, “This is fantastic news for everyone. It is exiting for me to be a Lotus driver and I’m really looking forward to great success with this new project.”

The return to the IndyCar Series follows on from the recent announcement by Lotus and Cosworth are to become closely associated through a strategic partnership looking at the opportunity to develop high performance engines for Lotus cars.

The 2010 IndyCar Series starts with the Sao Paolo Indy 300, Brazil on the 14^th of March 2010.

About Lotus

The main operating subsidiary of Group Lotus plc is Lotus Cars Ltd, which has two operating divisions - Lotus Engineering and Lotus Cars. Lotus Engineering is an internationally recognized automotive engineering consultancy based in Norfolk, UK.  Global facilities include those in Michigan (USA), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), China and offices in Germany and Japan, with rapid expansion in new territories such as South East Asia.

Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to many of the world's OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, offering a full engineering service from initial concept and project design through development and integration of the complete vehicle to meet all worldwide markets and customers to full production. This includes third party 'niche vehicle' engineering and manufacture worldwide.

Lotus Cars builds world class, prestige, high performance sports cars for sale in 37 countries.  These include the iconic Lotus Elise, the Exige, the 2-Eleven and Lotus’ latest model, the Lotus Evora. Lotus is a global high-tech company, expanding rapidly and committed to driving forward technology for both Lotus Cars and its Engineering clients, spearheading research into such areas as hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels.

About Cosworth

The Cosworth Group provides high performance technologies to a diverse range of global industries including automotive, defence, clean energy generation and sports.

The Cosworth Group is headquartered in Northampton, UK and operates additional facilities in the UK, North America and India to leverage its unique combination of advanced technologies, mechanical and electronic engineering expertise and globally recognized brand to deliver performance solutions.

Cosworth has been at the forefront of international motorsport for over 50 years and is a brand synonymous with success. Cosworth high performance race technologies have delivered championships in every major series across the globe including Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, World Rallying, World Touring Cars and MotoGP.

About KV Racing Technologies

KV Racing Technology was established in 2003.  The Indianapolis-based team will contest its eighth open-wheel season and third in the IndyCar Series in 2010.  KVRT is owned by successful venture capitalist Kevin Kalkhoven and 1996 Indy Car Series Champion, Jimmy Vasser.   Veteran motorsports manager Mark Johnson is the team's General Manager.  KVRT has earned two victories, the first by Cristiano da Matta in Portland in 2005 and the second by Will Power in Long Beach in 2008.  They have captured two poles, Tristan Gommendy at Mont Tremblant in 2007 and Vasser at Milwaukee in 2005 (Will Power captured the pole at the 2008 Surfers Paradise, Australia exhibition race).

Revolutionary DeltaWing IndyCar Unveiled in Chicago

Radical DeltaWing IndyCar Concept delivers 235 mph laps with half the power and fuel consumption, answering the call for high performance with efficiency and sustainabilityNew design showcases the latest American technology, incorporating future trends in materials, computer modeling, manufacturing techniques, occupant safety, fuels and powertrains

CHICAGO, Illinois (February 10, 2010) – DeltaWing LLC, of Indianapolis, introduced the future of open wheel racing today at the Chicago Auto Show, aimed at realigning America’s premiere racing tradition with current automobile industry and consumer trends. DeltaWing calls on technological innovation to return racing to cutting edge relevance in the search for extreme performance with less environmental and financial resources.

“Today marks a fundamental shift in how race fans and the general public will view all racing cars in the future; this is a game changer” said Dan Partel, Chief Executive Officer of DeltaWing LLC.

“This radical prototype takes open wheel racing to a new level from both an engineering standpoint and the overall spectator experience.”

The car also marks the next step in the industry’s dedication to becoming more environmentally responsible. DeltaWing has identified that this marketplace trend can be applied to the IZOD IndyCar Series and has developed this concept car using the most advanced American technology.

By targeting reduced aerodynamic drag and lighter weight, the DeltaWing design achieves record breaking on track performance with only half the engine power of its recent predecessors. The unique vehicle design provides optimum and consistent distribution of loading for the Firestone Firehawk tires, which are specifically developed for the dynamic characteristics of the DeltaWing racer.

The futuristic form aims to appeal to a younger demographic audience who is increasingly in search of technological innovations to solve the requirement for sustainable personal mobility. DeltaWing LLC will design, engineer and supply a running prototype by August, 2010.

Revolutionary design from every angle

• Ultra narrow front track design saves weight, while fairings for the Firestone tires reduces aerodynamic drag and prevents wheel interlocking

• Delta plan view shape provides undisturbed airflow to the downforce generating ground effect underbody venturi located beneath the car’s center of gravity just ahead of the widely spaced rear wheels. Highly efficient downforce with negligible wake ensures minimal loss of aerodynamic performance for a trailing car thus enhancing the on-track overtaking spectacle

• Uncluttered side view with rearwards driver location provides ideal

sponsorship positioning and true single-seater appeal. The highly prominent tail fin replaces the conventional inverted aerofoil in order to broaden the yaw stability envelope without inducing aerodynamic drag on straight-aways

“We are confident that this car will outperform the current generation IndyCar and do it in a more environmentally friendly way,” said Partel. “Auto racing has always been a powerful marketing tool for propelling new technology into the hearts and minds of consumers. This new car was specifically designed to be more closely aligned with the new reality of automobiles that are arriving on the road today.

Consumers are choosing cars that provide impressive performance capabilities but with greater fuel efficiency. This prototype IndyCar features those same characteristics, making it much more relevant to the public and the auto industry.

It is our goal to make participation in the series highly attractive to the automobile manufacturers as well as the fuel, technology, information and entertainment corporate sectors.”

DeltaWing anticipates the final car will weigh a remarkable 50 percent less than the current generation IndyCar and crucially, generate only half of the aerodynamic drag. This combination requires substantially less horsepower to generate speeds of over 235 miles per hour while delivering a 100% improvement in fuel efficiency.

“Our goal is to have our first prototype on the track in August,” said Partel. “We look forward to an exciting development project with the Indy Racing League to ensure that all of their requirements are met for DeltaWing to become the next IZOD IndyCar in 2012.”

“Today, we saw the future of racing unveiled”, said Bill Lafontaine, Chief

Marketing Officer. “This revolutionary car and business concept ushers in a new era in racing and reinforces the strong tradition of innovation in open wheel racing. This initiative reaffirms America’s ability to lead in the automotive field.

We look forward to the development of the car and our first running prototype.”

About the DeltaWing IndyCar Prototype

Initial concept work by Ben Bowlby started with a clean sheet approach and began in January, 2009 at Target Chip Ganassi Racing in Indianapolis. The first prototype car will be powered by a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder turbocharged engine. Final horsepower figures will be based on the car’s performance on the track, but by using state-of-the-art computer modeling, it is anticipated that the engine will

need to produce approximately 300 horsepower to attain the performance targets and will run over 4,000 miles before requiring a rebuild, a dramatic 100% improvement over the current engine.

“The DeltaWing Concept is more than just a new and exciting racing car; it is about creating a platform that moves racing into the new era of information entertainment”, said Bowlby, Designer and Chief Technology Officer. “Once we have successfully production engineered and manufactured the first generation of team cars, those cars will form the beginning of a constant evolution formula.

Our intention is to publish the entire design detail via the DeltaWing website where access will be available to everyone and so provide a unique participation opportunity and insight into the engineering world of modern racing cars. Just as we hope to see multiple engine suppliers with different configurations and displacements, we also hope to create a framework that will allow us to see a varied and ever changing grid of racing machines in a sustainable, cost controlled and high value manner. We will be unveiling these plans once the prototype is up and running. As we design the DeltaWing prototype, safety, efficiency, value and cost are our main priorities; the goal is that more teams and drivers will have the opportunity to compete in the IZOD IndyCar series. At this point we anticipate a complete car with engine will sell for $600,000.”

Key Specifications (estimated):

Weight with driver: 1,030 lbs.

Horsepower: 300 BHP

Wheel base: 125 inches

Front track: 24 inches

Rear track: 70 inches

Aerodynamic drag: Cd 0.24

Key Technical Features

• Engine and transmission are “non-stressed members” of the chassis structural design which allows teams to install a wide variety of lightweight powertrains

• The prototype will feature a 4 cylinder turbo charged engine that will produce approximately 300 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and weigh only 160lbs fully dressed

• Engine capacity, RPM and configuration freedoms are anticipated given only that the rate of fuel delivery to the engine will be controlled by a specially developed fuel flow rate control unit

• Vehicle weight distribution is necessarily more rearward than traditionally seen with 72.5% of the mass on the larger rear tires

• 80% of the aerodynamic downforce acts on the rear of the car

• Inline traction under acceleration through the rear tires is greatly enhanced by rearward weight and aerodynamic distributions

• Unique amongst today’s racing cars 60% of braking force is generated behind the center of gravity giving a dynamically stable response

• Locking propensity of the inside front wheel on corner entry is greatly reduced

• Transmission features 6 speed oval and 5 speed plus reverse road track configurations with sequential paddle shift actuation

• Differential features full torque vectoring active technology with driver control of gain for balance adjustment. “Active stagger” removes the expensive necessity for staggered rear tire diameters for ovals

• Advanced computer modeling of structures, impact energy management, aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics and tires has been used to develop the virtual DeltaWing car

• The car’s performance has been simulated on each configuration of race track encountered during the IZOD IndyCar Series Championship

• Modern advanced materials and CNC construction techniques applied to achieve gains in light weight structures and occupant safety

• Driver position, restraint layout and energy absorbency facility

designed with the latest data on survival criteria.

Visit www.deltawingracing.com for additional information and to follow progress on the design and development of the concept

2009 Race Photo by Mark Rotor  

Changes announced at INDY Winter meetings

More than 250 IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights drivers and team representatives descended on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Jan. 12 for the Indy Racing League's annual winter meeting and preseason physicals.

Brian Barnhart, president of competition and racing operations for the sanctioning Indy Racing League, announced several changes to IZOD IndyCar Series cars for the 2010 season during the meeting while other various sanctioning body departments, manufacturers and partners presented updates.

Changes announced for 2010 include removal of the four-position fuel mixture switch from the cars. The Honda overtake assist system will remain and receive almost a doubling of horsepower boost.

The Honda overtake assist was added for the race at Kentucky Speedway in August 2009 and carried through the remainder of the season on ovals and road courses. It provides drivers a boost in horsepower and RPMs for a predetermined number of uses and durations by activating a button on the steering wheel.

"Teams and drivers can still save fuel because they can develop their own fuel strategy, but instead of having a mechanical device to achieve it they can use their right foot," Indy Racing League senior technical director Les Mactaggart said. "It will allow the drivers more strategy during the event. If they want to save fuel they can by controlling the throttle and equally so the overtake assist will be more effective because they'll have more horsepower. The strategy really is to try to give the drivers more choice."

From a technical perspective, there aren't any issues, according to Honda Performance Development technical division manager Roger Griffiths. The "yellow" position will remain - to be used during caution periods if the driver chooses.

A reverse gear supplied by promotional partner Xtrac will be incorporated in cars for the nine road and street course races and be available to drivers through the paddle shift system. Drivers will retain six forward gears, and the kit won't be required for the eight oval events.

"We've been making updates every year (changing gear size, adding the paddle shift system) and it just happened to be the right time to put the gear in the car," IZOD IndyCar Series technical director Kevin Blanch said. "It doesn't make any of the parts obsolete; you just add the new kit. It's on the drop gear side, so when the crew is making gear changes it doesn't interfere. It just stays in the car the whole time."

Additionally, a "floating back" headrest configuration that has been researched and tested by Indy Racing League director of engineering Jeff Horton was recommended for implementation by teams.

Horton developed the "floating back" to curb the disparity in G forces between the car and head in rearward crashes. The Kevlar skin of the headrest is attached to the front of the foam and the sides are allowed to float, "so the driver only feels the effect of the foam during impact," according to Horton.

Teams will realize a dollar savings through decreases in the Honda engine full-season and Indianapolis 500-only lease programs.

A lease for the 17-race season has been reduced $27,000 to $935,000 ($15,000 lease and removal of $12,000 shipping fee) - about half of the 2005 lease program cost. For the Indianapolis 500, Griffiths said: "We're still offering a variety of options, but the basic price for an Indy-only team is $150,000. Last year it was $225,000." The package includes 800 miles of practice and qualifications, Miller Lite Carb Day and the race. A fresh engine for Miller Lite Carb Day and the race will be available for $60,000.

A "short Indy" program - commencing Thursday, May 20, two days before qualifications - will be offered for $90,000. It includes 500 miles of practice and qualifying, with the engine carried over to Miller Lite Carb Day and the race.

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Coyne partners with Boy Scouts

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and Dale Coyne Racing (DCR) announced that the two legendary organizations are teaming up to promote family fun and education through a new BSA IndyCar. Scouts can experience the BSA's No. 19 IndyCar throughout the 17-race IndyCar® Series 2010 schedule of events including the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indianapolis 500.

"It's the ultimate Pinewood Derby," said Dale Coyne, a former scout "with the Rainbow Council in Joliet, Ill.," who noted that he's seeking primary sponsorship for the No. 19 entry. Coyne said announcements regarding the entire team program for 2010 (multiple cars and drivers) will be announced soon.

With 2.8 million youth members, 1.3 million adult volunteers and almost 50 million alumni, there will be considerable more viewers of the race team and IZOD IndyCar Series. Twenty-two members of Congress were Eagle Scouts.

The No. 19 car will help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the BSA - the nation's largest youth service organization. The BSA and DCR plan to utilize the high-tech nature of Indy cars as a platform to promote science, technology and math to those involved in Scouting. Through the IndyCar program Scouts and volunteers will have fun and exciting at-track participation opportunities through out the year. The Boy Scouts and Coyne Racing collaboration provides an unparalleled opportunity to reach out to America's youth with a strong emphases on science, technology, engineering, and math.

"This is the first time that we're aware on a national scale that the Boy Scouts of America have wrapped their arms around a sport of any kind," Coyne said. "I think it's a unique platform; it's been a lot of fun what we've done this past year having scouts at several races.

"It's truly the ultimate engineering exercise what we do with these IndyCars, with the initiative that scouting and companies are pushing forward with their math and science program this will provide a cool way for kids to explore and expand their abilities in this field. There's a need in this country for future engineers, and we will have many initiatives to have kids to have fun, but explore the science of racing. We look forward to this being a very long relationship with many facets to explore and expand in the coming years.

"This is a program with true heart -- from watching a young boy's first Pinewood Derby to helping him learn and apply the disciplines of science and technology using the excitement of IndyCar. The message we will convey is the significance of education and the value of preparing for a rapidly advancing high-tech world."